Tue Aug 26

Last week had this reading and topic, keys, and questions, but the wrong notes.

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the words mercy and compassion.

Reading

Lamentations 3:19-24 His Mercies Never End!

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

Jeremiah was discouraged.
Yet he remembered God’s steadfast love and found hope.
He also found hope in remembering God’s eternal mercies.

Questions

(some read the ?s before notes, then ask them after)

What does Jeremiah remember about God’s mercies?
What does Jeremiah remember about God’s compassions?
What happens when he doesn’t remember these things?

Notes

(See Saturday for authors.)

In the middle of this book, in the middle of this chapter, in the middle of this lament in a book of laments, Jeremiah turns to statements of powerful hope. This is not hope and joy just because things are going well. This is hope in the face of hopelessness. When he considers the reality of Jerusalem’s destruction, of God’s judgment, he gets depressed (V20).

Yet. Yet he remembers some truth about God. Yet he finds hope – the hope that he had lost (v18). He determines that he is going to remember things that are true.

God’s mercies keep me from being consumed. It may be hard—VERY hard. Yet God’s mercies remain for His people. He will work it for good. Ultimately, we are not consumed in the eternal fires of hell because God in His mercy poured that punishment out on Christ.

God’s compassions are new every morning. The word is of the strong, tender care of a father for his children. Day after day after day of trouble. Yet, each morning new compassions. That, if nothing else, keeps me from being consumed. Why? Because God cares. Jesus told his disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. Be of good courage, I have overcome the world. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.” Find hope in God’s daily compassions.

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 36b, 85a

Prayer

Rejoice with your family in prayer in God’s mercies and God’s compassions.
Give thanks for something from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.